PacB Group // Why it Could Pay You to Hire a Generator

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Why it Could Pay You to Hire a Generator

The most obvious and among the most common reasons to hire a generator rather than buying one is that it will only be required for a short period. Perhaps a family is planning to hold a wedding reception or some other type of party in a remote beauty spot where there is no access to mains electricity, but where it will still be necessary to provide lighting, music, and some means to keep food warm. Why would the family go through the expense of purchasing a unit for a one-off use if it has the option to rent one instead?

Event planners rent equipment regularly when conducting events, such as music festivals and agricultural shows in some typically rustic setting. The organiser may own enough machines to provide all of the necessary power on most occasions, but might also need to hire a generator or two in order to cater for extra exhibitors or to satisfy any unusual power requirements.

A similar contingency will often affect a construction company. Whereas, for many of their projects, they are able to rely on obtaining access to the mains for their power requirements, there will be occasions, on which they must operate in more remote locations for short periods. When such a need occurs only infrequently and perhaps totals no more than ten or twelve weeks out of a year, it will definitely be more cost-effective for the company to avoid making a capital purchase and, instead, to consider arranging for the hire of a generator.

Power requirements vary according to the nature of the task to be performed, and where these are likely to change quite often, it can be a costly undertaking to purchase sufficient machines to cater for every eventuality. One of the big advantages of renting a machine is that you can select one with the appropriate power capacity to meet any unusual power demands and simply return it when your requirements return to normal. In practice, even where an additional machine may be required on a permanent basis, if the current capital budget makes no provision for a purchase, it could make sound economic sense simply to hire a generator rather than to risk a possible cut back in production.

On occasions, such as when commissioning a new plant, there may be a degree of uncertainty with regard to the actual power requirements. To go ahead and purchase one or more machines without being certain that they will be suitable could prove to be a costly exercise if you have made the wrong choice. One of the less obvious advantages of opting for a rental arrangement is that it amounts to a “try before you buy” opportunity. If you are satisfied that your power needs are adequately met, you can conclude the hire agreement and buy a generator. If not, you can rent an alternative unit to try out.

Ownership of any machine comes with certain responsibilities. In the case of a genset, while most new units will be covered by the manufacturer’s warranty, once this has run out, all responsibility for the cost of any repairs and maintenance will fall on the owner.  This might involve taking on extra staff members, purchasing an extended warranty and taking out some form of insurance. Either way, these are concerns that will often no longer be valid if a company should decide not to purchase a new generator, but to hire one instead.

In South Africa, due to the high frequency of brownouts and blackouts, and where the sole reason for generating power on-site is to cope with these contingencies, a purchase is likely to be the better option. Nevertheless, wherever the need is for a temporary power source that will be used only infrequently, rental is usually the better option. When you are ready to hire a generator, call PacB Group.